“As the results of the elections sink in, some at Wesleyan will be cheered by the outcomes, others will be distressed,” he wrote. “The work in this new political context is to continue to maintain Wesleyan’s commitment to an education based in boldness, rigor, and practical idealism. That work has never been more important.”

Roth reiterated the university’s 2016 pledge to protect students who are undocumented immigrants and may be at risk of deportation under new federal directives.

“The University will not voluntarily assist in any efforts by the federal government to deport our students, faculty or staff solely because of their citizenship status,” Roth noted.

Roth also highlighted the importance of education and its critical role in upholding democracy. He defended DEI initiatives and noted the importance of Wesleyan’s Office for Equity and Inclusion.

“The classroom must remain a space for professors to share their professional expertise with students who could in turn explore ideas and methodologies without fear of imposed orthodoxies,” he wrote. “The campus must strive to be the home of an ecosystem of genuine intellectual diversity. Cultivating an environment in which people can pursue ideas and forms of expression without fear of retaliation has never been more important.”

He continued, “Candidate Trump promised to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion departments and to punish those schools who do not live up to his version of civil rights standards. At Wesleyan we have long believed in the educational power of diversity, and we know that our Office for Equity and Inclusion has a vital role to play in our educational mission. We will redouble our efforts to enhance belonging while we cultivate a greater pluralism. That work has never been more important.”

Roth insisted on maintaining the values of democracy, freedom of thought and education. Many of Trump’s dissenters have expressed concern over his plans to further book censorship, his mention of not needing another election in the future and have questioned his role in inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol — apparent signs of his rejection of American democratic ideals.

“The attacks on higher education, on democracy, on the rule of law, threaten to sweep away freedoms that have been hard-won over the last 100 years,” Roth wrote. “However we feel about the election’s results, we must strive to make education and democracy protect and nurture one another. At our university that will mean a very intentional effort to protect and nurture the seeds of a democratic culture.”

“We must reject the cultivated ignorance that is used to fan the flames of hatred,” he added. “We must defend the freedom to learn together in our schools, colleges and universities so that we can continue our democratic experiment.”